Valve-regulator



Patented May 30, I899.

No. 626,l7I,

6.. w,. LAMBERT. VALVE REG ULATU'BL (Application; filed June 6, 1898a,)

(No Model.)

lNVE To A TTORNEYS.

WITNESSES UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE lV. LAMBERT, OF ORANGE, MASSACHUSETTS.

VALVE-REG U LATO R.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 626,171, dated May 30, 1899.

Application filed June 6,1898. Serial No. 682,734. (Nomodeld c This invention relates particularly to an electric apparatus for regulating or controlling the inlet-valve or cut-oh? for a waterpower wheel; and the object is to provide a simple andcomparatively inexpensive apparatus that may be operated by the rotation of thewheel to more or. less open or close the inlet-valve, and thus by controlling the water-inlet cause the wheel to maintain a substantially equal speed.

I will describe a valve-regulator embodying myinvention and then point out the novel features in the appended claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forminga part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in both views.

Figure 1 is a partial section and partial elevation of a regulating device embodying my invention, and Fig. 2 is a similar View of a modified construction.

Referring to thedrawings, 1 designates the cylinder of a water-wheel of any desired construction, and the gate or valve of this water-wheel has a stem 2,upon which is mounted a gear 3, meshing with a rack 4, which is the extension of the stem 5 of a piston 6, oper ating in a cylinder 7. At its respective ends the cylinder 7 has inlet-pipes 8 9 for water or other motive agent, and it also has at each end exhaust-pipes 1O 11. The inlet 8 is controlled by a valve 12 and the outlet 10 is controlled by a Valve 13. These valves 12 and 13 are both mounted on a stem 14, which extends through the valve-casing and has connection with an armaturedever 15, coacting with an electromagnet 16. The inlet 9 and exhaust or outlet 11 are controlled, respectively, by valves 17 18, connected together by a stem 19, which extends through the valve-casing and is connected to an armature-lever 20, coacting with an electromagnet 21. The armatures and 20 are connected together by a link 22.

governor-rod 29. extends to the electromagnet 16, and from other pole of said battery 23 a'wire 25 extexids to an electrical connection with a swinging contact 26, designed to be engaged by either one of the contacts 27 28, mounted on a From the contact 27 a wire the contact 28 a wire 31 extends to the electromagnet 21. The governor-rod 29 has connection with a valve 32 for controlling the exhaust from the cylinder 7. The governorrod 29 extends through a cone-pulley 33, on the arms 34 35 of which are pivoted centrifugal governor-arms 36 37. The inwardly-projected portions of the arms 36 and 37 engage in an annular channel formed in a block 29 on the end of the rod 29. A band 38 connects the cone-pulley 33 with a cone-pulley 39, the shaft of which carries a pulley 39, which is driven by a band 40, having engagement with a band-wheel on the shaft 41 of the water- Wheel. A belt-shifter has connection with the band 38. This belt-shifter consists of a rod 42, having projections thereon, between which the band 38 passes, the rod being pivoted to a lever 43, pivoted to a rack 44:, having engagement with a pinion 455 on the valve or gate stem 2.

' In operation as the speed of the waterwheel increases the governor-arms will be thrown outward, and this outward movement of the governor-arms will move the governorrod 29 and cause the contact 27 to engage with the contact 26, thus closing the circuit through the electromagnet 16. When the electromagnet 16 is thus energized, it will attract the armature-lever 15, causing the valve 12 to close the inlet 8 and the valve 13 to open the exhaust 10, and at the same time through the agency of the link 22 the valves 17 and 18 will be moved to open the inlet 9 and close the exhaust 11. The water or other motive agent entering through the pipe 9 will move the piston 6, which through its rack connection with the gear 3 will rotate the stem 2 to move the gate or valve of the water-wheel inlet toward its closing position.

Whenthe speed of the water-Wheel diminishes, the governor-arms will be moved inward by means of the springs 36 37, shown is movable.

in connection therewith, and this inward movement of the governor-arms will move the shaft 29 to cause the contact 28 to engage with the contact 26, thus closing the circuit through the electrom agnet 21. The energized magnet will attract the armaturelever 20 and move the respective valves to allow an entrance of motive agent through thepipe 8 and exhaust through the pipe 11. The movement of the stem 2 will operate the belt-shifter to move said belt on the cone-pulleys 33 and 39- that is, when the speed of the water-Wheel increases the belt 38 will be moved toward the small end of the pulley 33, so that the regulator will increase its speed faster than that of the water-wheel and will prevent the wheel from racing.

The exhaust-valve 32 is closed when the water-wheel is running at its normal speed. lVhen the speed increases above the normal, the movement'of the governor-rod opens the valve 32, and the higher the speed goes above the normal the more the valve will open. \Vhen the speed diminishes below the nor- ,mal, the valve 32 also opens as it opens either way from the center. The contacts are adjustable, and the distance between the contacts 26 and 28 and 26 and 27 is normally about one-half the lap of valve to each side, so that the valve 32 and the valves on the cylinder will open together, the valve 32 being opened but very little, it any, before electric contact is made.

In Fig. 2 I have shown the several valves 12, 13, 17, and 18 connected bya rod 46, having a pin at its central portion engaging in a slot formed in a lever 47, having an armature 48, adapted'to coact with the electromagnets 49,50, 51, and 52. These electromagnets have connection with one pole of battery 53 and also have connection with contact-plates 54, 55, 56, and 57, over which a contact-lever 58 "This contact-lever 58 has an electrical connection 59 with the battery 53. The lever 58 is designed also to have connection with the governor-rod 29, and obviously by the movement of said governor-rod the lever 58 will be operated to successively energize the electromagnets 49, 50, 51, and 52, thus more or less opening or closing the valves governing the inlets and outlets of the cylinder 7, and consequently more or less opening or closing the inlet valve or gate for the water-wheel.

It will be noted that the contact 26 is mounted to swing between the contacts 27 28, so that when engaged and moved by one of the contacts carried by the rod 29 and upon the reverse movement of the rod the said contact 26 will be left in close proximity to the other contact carried by the rod, and thus quick actions may take place when the governor changes either above or below the normal speed.

Having thus described my invention, I

claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. A valve-regulator comprising a cylinder, a piston in said cylinder and connected with the valve to be regulated, a valve controlling the inlet of a motive agent to said cylinder, an

electric circuit for operating the valve, a governor for operating circuit closing and opening device, and mechanism for regulating the speed of the governor, the said mechanism being controlled from the said piston, substantially as specified.

A valve-regulator, comprising a cylinder, a piston operating in said cylinder, a rack on the stem of said piston, for engaging with a gear on the valve-stem,valves for controlling the entrance and outlet of motive agent to and from said cylinder at each side of the piston, electromagnets, arm'atu res .coacting with said electromagnets and having connection with the valve-stem, a contact having connection with each of the electromagnets, a battery in said connection,mcvable contacts having con- I nection with the electromagnets, a governorrod on which the movable contacts are mounted, a governor for operating said governorrod, and mechanism for regulating the speed of the governor relative to that of the motor, the'said mechanism being actuated by the movement of the piston in the cylinder, substantially as specified. 3. A controlling device for the valve or gate of a water-wheel, comprising a cylinder, a piston in said cylinder,valves for controlling the inlet and outlet of Water to and from the cylinder at opposite sides of the piston, an electric circuit for operating said valves, a movable governor-rod for operating circuit malt ing and breaking devices, a cone pulley through which said governor-rod extends, a centrifugal governor on said pulley and having connection with the governor-rod, a cone pulley driven from the Water-wheel, a band connection between said two cone-pulleys, and a belt-shifter operated by the movement of the piston in the cylinder, substantially as specified.

4. A valve-regulator comprising a cylinder, a piston in said cylinder, valves for opening and closing the inlet and outlet for the m0- tive agent to and from the cylinder, an electric circuit for operating said valves, a movable governor-rod for operating circuit making and breaking devices, and a valve for controlling the exhaust from the cylinder and also actuated from the said governor-rod,substantially as specified.

5. A valve-regulator,comprising a cylinder, a piston in said cylinder and connected with the valve to be regulated, an inlet-pipe'and an exhaust-pipe for the motive agent at each end of the cylinder, valves controlling the said inlets and outlets and connected to move in unison, an electric circuit for operating the valves, a circuit opening and closing device, a governor for operating the circuit opening and closing device, and a valve for controlling the exhaust from the cylinder and also actuated from the said governor, substantially as specified.

6. A controlling device for the Valve or gate of a water-wheel or the like, comprising a cylinder,a piston in said cylinder, valves for controlling the inlet and outlet of the motive agent to and from the cylinder at opposite sides of the piston, an electric circuit for operating said valves, a movable governor-rod for operating a circuit making and breaking device, a cone-pulley through which said governor-rod extends, a centrifugal governoron the said cone-pulley and connected with the governor-rod, a cone-pulley driven from the water-wheel, a belt connection between the said cone pulleys,. a belt shifting device, means for moving the valve or gate to be regulated from the said piston, and a connection between the stem of said valve or gate and the belt-shifting device, substantially as shown and described.

7. A valve or gate regulator comprising a cylinder, a piston in said cylinder, valves for controlling the inlet and outlet of the motive tially as described.

GEORGE W. LAMBERT.

Witnesses:

JOHN H. WHELLEHEN, ARTHUR W. HUBBARD. 

